How much water is available?

We avoid water shortfalls by using environmental water efficiently and by carrying water over and trading. If there’s still a shortfall of water we prioritise which watering actions are most important.

Environmental water entitlements

An environmental water entitlement is a legal right to a
share of water available at a location (for example, Upper Yarra Reservoir),
subject to rules and conditions.

There are also water entitlements for households, industry
and irrigated farming.

Environmental water entitlements provide a right to water
that can be managed to benefit the environment. The rules and conditions of
each environmental entitlement determine how much water is available and when.

What are the different types of entitlements?

A bucket is a good metaphor for environmental water
entitlements that provide a right to access water held in water storages.

The size of the bucket is determined by the entitlement
volume, or the maximum amount of water that can be accessed annually. How the
bucket is filled with water is determined by the rules and conditions of the
entitlement.

In most cases, water available in the entitlement
(bucket) varies from year to year depending on how much water is in storage and
how much it has rained. The 'water available' is often referred to as 'water
allocation'.

Generally, each entitlement (bucket) gets filled with
water (allocation) as more water becomes available in storage.

In many systems, a water corporation (also known as a
storage manager or a resource manager) progressively allocates water to
entitlements throughout the year based on how much water is in storage. In a
dry year, water allocated may be less than the total entitlement volume (the
bucket does not fill). In a wet year, the full volume is likely to be allocated
early (the bucket fills quickly), as the figure above illustrates.

Water allocation to an entitlement could be determined
by a specified share of inflows or
by other defined rules.

An entitlement may have a specified 'reliability',
which indicates how consistently the entitlement (bucket) is filled and the
priority order in which it is filled in any year. For example, in systems like
the Murray, high-reliability entitlements are filled before and more frequently than low-reliability entitlements.

Some environmental water entitlements are not linked
to a water storage and access to water is only permitted on an opportunistic
basis (that is, when water is actually flowing in a river, rather than being
captured in a storage). These entitlements—called unregulated entitlements—permit
diversion of in-river flows above a certain height or rate, or flows that are
in excess of what is needed to supply consumptive uses.

Proportion of water entitlements in Victoria. Based on total volume of surface water entitlements recorded in Victorian Water Register 30 June 2014. Does not include entitlements not accounted for in the Register (such as minimum or unregulated river flows and other rules-based environmental water like the Barmah-Millewa environmental water account).

Where do environmental water entitlements exist in Victoria?

Environmental
water entitlements are held in 15 water supply systems across Victoria.

We
and other environmental water holders try to avoid water supply shortfalls by
using environmental water efficiently and by carrying over and trading water.

If there are still shortfalls, we, in collaboration with waterway managers such
as catchment management authorities and Melbourne Water (and other water
holders if relevant) must prioritise where we water.

The figure below shows where environmental water entitlements are held. It includes entitlements held by the Commonwealth Environmental Water
Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

How much water is available to use for environmental watering?

Environmental water is available under environmental
water entitlements held by us.

The water available to
use under these entitlements varies from year to year, depending on entitlement
rules, seasonal conditions (including rainfall and runoff in the catchments)
and the water already available in storages.

Here are the environmental water entitlements held by us as at 30 June
2015. 1

1 While the VEWH does not
hold any entitlements in the Maribyrnong system, water allocation was purchased
in this system (together with Melbourne Water) in 2013–14 and 2014–15.

2 Use of these
entitlements is dependent upon suitable river heights, as specified in both the
Latrobe and Barwon environmental entitlements.

3 Water is accumulated
continuously according to a share of inflows (Blue Rock 9%, Tarago system
10.3%, Werribee system 10%, Moorabool system 11.9%) and this volume represents
the maximum that can be stored at any time. The actual volume available in any
year varies according to inflows.

4 In addition to
volumetric entitlement, the entitlement also includes passing flows.

5 In addition to
volumetric entitlement, the entitlement also includes unregulated water.

6 This entitlement
volume is equal to one-third of the total water savings from GMW Connections
Project Stage 1, as verified in the latest audit (including mitigation water).

7 Allocation against
this entitlement is made subject to specific triggers, as specified in the
entitlement.

The sum of environmental water entitlements held in Victoria (including by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority under The Living Murray program) as at 30 June 2015.

How have environmental water entitlements been created?

In response to declining river and wetland health due the
amount of water being taken out and the construction of dams, weirs and
channels, governments have invested significantly over the past two decades to
recover water for the environment.

In Victoria, this has occurred largely through water-saving projects, such as
improving the efficiency of delivering water to towns and farms. Some of the
water savings from these projects are then converted into environmental water
entitlements.

Who holds the environmental water entitlements?

Environmental water entitlements are largely held by
State and Commonwealth government agencies often referred to as 'environmental
water holders'.

In Victoria this includes the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, the
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority as
part of the Living Murray program.

Water donations

We can receive water donations from individuals, community groups and other organisations.

This water could be used for environmental watering in the financial year it was donated (including for actions identified in the seasonal watering plan), or it could be carried over for use in the future.

Some donors may identify a specific use for the water (such as in a specific wetland or to protect a certain tree species).

The costs and benefits of each donor proposal is considered by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and these donations may be authorised by us if they're considered environmentally beneficial.

Read about Christiane Jaeger who has generously donated water to the environment since 2008.